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My MAC Lipstick Collection & A Guide to MAC Lipstick Finishes

I mentioned a while ago that I’ve been turning my spare room into an office / blogging and beauty mecca. Well I’m nearly there – I have all the furniture in, so I just need to put a mirror up and get some pretty things on the walls then I can show you the amazing room transformation, it’ll be like Changing Rooms but better! As soon as I fixed my sexy Ikea Alex drawers together, the first thing I did was fill them up with all my beauty products, and it wasn’t till I started organising all the drawers that I realised how much I actually had… (oops)

Ok so I have exactly 51 . I’m not sure if this should be celebrated or if I have a problem! My MAC lippies alone are worth more than my car – ok my car is pretty much a tip but even so! So I’m now officially calling myself a ‘collector’, as this gives me a good excuse for having enough makeup to start my own Boot’s store, and I must admit some of it is getting a bit old too. I should point out that I don’t use all of it, some of the oldies are so lovely though I just can’t bear to let go of them. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce my MAC lipstick collection…

For the eagle-eyed among you, you’ll have noticed there are actually 49 lippies in the picture. YES I MANAGED TO LEAVE TWO OUT. What an idiot. It took forever and a day to arrange them all and put them in some sort of order, and it wasn’t till I’d packed up that I’d noticed two little buggers had sneaked off (I’ll blame the lipsticks) so I missed them out of the photos. FML.

Starting from the top left I’ve grouped the brights together, this includes pinks, oranges and my favourite bright red. Moving across you’ll see all the purples, then jump down a row to the lightest nudes, then pinks, mauves and browns. Then on the bottom row you’ll see the rest of the nudes. I had no idea I owned so many nude lipsticks that are alike!!

Rather than swatch each and every one of them – God knows how long that would take! I’m going to treat this post as a kind of overview – I’ll include all the shade names and finishes for reference, and I’ll also explain what the finishes all mean at the end as it’s handy to know, especially if you’re new to MAC lippies. I’m aiming to put the lipsticks into groups and swatch them for you once a week, so look out for the brights this time next week!

Top Row:

Pinkfringe (Proenza Schouler) – Satin

Kelly Yum Yum (Osbournes) – Satin

Saigon Summer – Cremesheen

Morange – Amplified Creme

True Red (Pedro Lourenco) – Amplified

Good Kisser – Matte

Embrace Me – Matte

Impassioned – Amplified

Outrageously Fun (Glamour Daze) – Cremesheen

Dodgy Girl (Osbournes) – Matte

Hellraiser – Dazzle

Violetta – Amplified

Up The Amp – Amplified

Feel My Pulse (Temperature Rising) – Cremesheen

Go For It – Cremesheen

Cyber – Satin

Riri Boy (Rihanna) – Retro Matte

Courting Lilac – Glaze

Middle Row:

Tanarama – Frost

Siren Song (Alluring Aquatic) – Lustre

Peach Beige (Pedro Lourenco) – Amplified

Secret Lover – Lustre

Double Spin (Glitter & Ice) – Cremesheen

Beauty (Glamour Daze) – Glaze

Viva Glam Gaga – Lustre

Angel – Frost

Steady Going – Matte

Sweet Experience – Amplified

Chatter Box – Amplified

A Novel Romance – Cremesheen

Please Me – Matte

Fast Play – Amplified

Twig – Satin

Viva Glam V – Lustre

Brave – Satin

Velvet Teddy – Matte

Bottom Row:

Pretty Please – Lustre

Flair For Finery – Lustre

Gel – Frost

Altered Beige (Temperatures Rising) – Lustre

Strip Poker (Osbournes) – Matte

Hue – Glaze

Honeylove – Matte

Myth – Satin

Woodrose (Prroenza Schouler) – Lustre

High Tea – Lustre

Lush Amber – Lustre

Blankety – Amplified

Creme Cup – Cremesheen

Ok so standard MAC lipsticks come in nine different finishes, here’s what they’re all about –

1. & 2. Amplified / Amplified Creme: Ultra-creamy. Quietly shiny. Colour-packed! Hi-res: hi-impact. I’ve put Amplified and Amplified Creme together because they are so alike. Amplified gives super high pigmentation, but without the drying effect of a Matte, and Amplified Cream is just that much creamier – this is easily one of my favourite finishes, being comfortable to wear, as well as highly pigmented with a slight sheen.

3. Cremesheen: These lipsticks have less pigmentation than Mattes or Amplifieds and give more of a glossy finish. They’re not the longest wearing lipsticks but are again one of my favourite finishes due to my constantly dry lips!

4. Frost: Excellent colour payoff with medium to high frosted shimmer-and-shine finish.Frost is probably my least favourite finish (apart from Retro Matte) it kind of reminds me of the 90’s – Heather Shimmer anyone? And can be quite hard to pull off. Saying that, it’s important to remember that not all Frost shades have a shimmer finish. I have Angel which is a lovely pink shade and if I hadn’t checked the label I’d never have guessed it was classed as a Frost!

5.. Glaze: Low-colour impact with sheen-style finish. Glazes the lips, makes them shine! If you’re looking for a sheer wash of colour, Glaze is the finish you need. with a high sheen finish that’s hydrating and sheer, this is the compete opposite to a Matte.

6.. Lustre: Demi-sheer with wet-look lustre finish. Very slick. Makes lips look soft, smooth, ultra-moist. I have three Glaze lipsticks and ten Lustre ones and I really can’t tell the difference between the finishes. I think Lustre shades over all have slightly more pigmentation but the same glossy finish.

7.. Matte: Pigment rich with intense colour pay-off. No-shine, all matte finish. I do love a matte finish! There’s no shine, shimmer or sparkle, nada. Matte lipsticks are super highly pigmented and are also quite drying. I suffer with dry lips so as long as I make sure they’re in good condition before applying there’s no problem at all. Also Mattes don’t budge = no lipstick on teeth 😀 Heroine is definitely my favourite matte shade.

8.. Retro Matte: How do you get matter than matte? With Retro Matte! I’ve tried a couple of RM finish lipsticks and I hated them, they were both from the Rihanna collection and they had the most drying formula ever, they dragged on my lips and were pretty uncomfortable. Very different from the standard Matte formula. If you want the mattest lips in the land, make sure your lips are in tip top to condition before applying.

9. Satin: Colour-rich. Soft satin, semi-matte finish. Conditions while adding intense colour.The Satin finish is a cross between a Matte and Amplified finish. It’s basically like a matte with a bit of sheen. It doesn’t have any hydrating qualities like an Amplified but it does offer great pigmentation.

Sorry that was quite a long post in the end! I hope it’s been useful? Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for a closer look including comparisons and swatches of all my MAC lipsticks xxx

Wow! I bow down to you! This is the most amazing collection!!! Definitely given me a few ideas for my next shopping trip <3 <3 We've done a MAC lipstick collection post on our blog too, please check it out if you get the chance xoxo

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About the Blog

Thou Shalt Not Covet… is a blog dedicated to my obsession with beautiful things, from fashion and make up, to lifestyle and travel. I will also be including product reviews, and anything else I want to share with the world!